Bark anatomy is an unappreciated discipline in plant systematics, despite its great potential to reveal systematically informative features. In this paper, main reasons for the lack of detailed bark anatomical data in many plant families are identified, including problems with sectioning, terminological issues, and difficulties in observation of dilated stems. We deal with these problems by focusing on two aspects: (1) compare, discuss and improve existing sectioning and maceration techniques using two species with soft and hard bark tissues; and (2) discuss the best way to collect stem bark samples. We hope that this paper will stimulate inclusion of bark anatomical data in future systematic studies.